No, PoRs (Positions of Responsibility) are not paid and are exclusively a volunteering experience. However, PoRs do offer students with a variety of perks beyond just professional experience.
To begin with, PoRs always reimburse students for any activity/action taken by the individual on behalf of the organisation. As such, there are PoRs where a student might earn money to do the work. For example, in IIT Madras -
- Members of MMCC & CMFGS earn reimbursements for their investigations into messes and institute facilities.
- Many Saarang team members, depending on their rank and their vertical, get free tickets for Saarang ProShows concerts.
- Shaastra team members, depending on their rank and their vertical, as well receive free passes and accessibility to all aspects of the festival, such as the Shaastra Techno Entertainment Night, etc.
Thus, being a PoR-holder might not come with a salary, but it does come with perks and benefits exclusive to the team/organisation, which can be worth a lot from the perspective of an outsider.